After The Fall
Chapter 14 – "Blood"
With a heavy heart Anna walks towards the car only to have one of Max's goons stop her. She looks up at the wall of muscles, hoping Barbie is close by.
"Can I help you?" The large man rubs his chin, looking very smug. Anna assesses her situation, wondering if she just ran of it could she out run him.
"Max wants a word with you." He grabs her around her arm and pulls her back towards the concrete factory.
"Yeah there tall, dark and ugly … I can walk." Her comment only makes him mad, his grip tightens.
Maxine sits in a chair in a storage room, a very displeased look on her face. Anna looks around for Barbie, not finding him. "Have a seat … we need to talk."
Anna sits down, Maxine walking around her like a bird circling its prey. "What's this about Max? I'm not with Barbie, he's moved on and honestly I'm glad he and Julia found each other."
"Listen sweetie, this is how this works. You and that damn brat are my way back to Barbie. After I rid myself of the current problem then I'll deal with you. I'll send someone for your baby … so where is he?" Anna crosses her arms over her chest, pursing her lips. Max stomps her foot, as if scolding a child.
Anna rises from the chair, pushing Max away from her. "You aren't touching my son. Barbie won't let you hurt his son.
Max pushes her back as the two girls get into a major catfight. Anna grabs Max by her hair, tossing her against the door. Max in turn picks up a metal tray, knocking Anna to the floor.
Doing her best get out the door, Anna pushes Max against a metal shelf, only run into the wall of muscles from earlier. The hulking man locks his arms around Anna's waist, pulling her feet off the floor.
Max bashes her over the head with the butt of her gun, knocking Anna unconscious.
Before she blacks out she hears Max telling her minion to find her baby.
Tied and bound in the storage room Anna tires to wiggle free from her restrains. Scooting over to some broken glass in the floor she manages to pick up a piece, cutting the rope and her fingers.
As she gets to her feet she feels the lump on the back of her head. "Damn you Max. I will kill you myself."
The door to her freedom remained locked, the concrete factory eerily quiet. "Hello!" Anna shouts but no one answers her back.
Feeling a little light headed she sits back down, wondering how long she'd been out.
The sound of footsteps echoes through the factory and into her small prison. Looking around for any other way out she finds a small window high up.
Stacking up some crates she climbs up easily, using a metal baseball bat hidden in the corner she breaks out the glass. Placing a rag over the broken glass she manages to squeeze through the small window, coming out at the back of the concrete factory.
Anna knew she'd have to find some way to stop Max, to keep her family safe. Walking around to the front of the factory she hears voices, one of them Dale's.
Maybe if she could get to Dale in time she could tell him everything that Max had done and together they could lock her psycho ass up.
With a head full of steam she walks towards the voices, Dale walking away from Big Jim. Max and her goon stand between them handcuffed when Big Jim raises his gun, shooting Max and her henchman dead.
Anna can't believe her eyes; Big Jim just solved all her problems. She waits by the corner of the factory, seeing Big Jim point the gun at Dale. Her heart thumbs hard in her chest as she tries to make her feet move.
She watches as Dale uses his impressive Black Op skills and takes Big Jim down. With the gun in hand he holds it over him when Linda pulls up.
Big Jim starts yelling that Barbie has lost it, that he killed Max and the other man. Linda tells Barbie to put down the gun and get on his knees.
For a moment it looks like he's going to comply when he knocks Linda in the head with his elbow, running full out towards the corner Anna is hiding at.
Linda fires her gun a few times as Dale rounds the corner of the building, running right into Anna.
"What the hell? Anna we have to go … where have you been?" He takes her hand as they run towards the forest, Ann wondering how long she'd been out.
Nearly out of breath, Ann rests against a tree. Dale looks at her, pulling her to his chest. "I went to the McAlister's to talk to you but you weren't there. Carolyn had Cole so I played with him for a bit before I went to Julia's. She knows the truth Anna and she still wants me. You were right all along."
"Why do I feel like there's a big but in there? And to answer your question, Max and I got into a major fight; she knocked me out and locked me up." Anna strokes his bearded check, wanting so badly to kiss him.
Dale strokes her pale check, giving her that usual Dale Barbara blue eyes stare. "Julia is hurt, Max shot her. She's in the hospital but I have to get her out. Big Jim will pin those murders and the attempt on Julia's life on me. She's not safe Anna. You have to get the baby and go somewhere safe."
"No, I have to help you get Julia back." She shakes her head, tears flowing down her face.
Dale kisses her deep and hard, the last of his love for her pouring into that one kiss. "I will always love you Anna Shaw but you have to take care of our son. My heart is with Julia and I have to protect her."
His words echo in her head, the same words the dome used. "Monarch, Protector and Savior." She whispers back to him.
Kissing him back, she smiles as he turns to leave. "I know what has to be done Barbie. You do whatever to save Julia but promise me you'll keep yourself safe as well. I'll go get Cole and I'll hide out here. There is something I need to do first but I promise I'll be here with our son."
"Anna … in another lifetime we would have been happy. I was happy with you." A tear rolls down his face as she walks away from him.
Letting her tears fall with each footstep she whispers back to him. "I was happy with you too."